1. Field
The following description relates to a network access device and a network access method.
2. Description of Related Art
Digital subscriber line (DSL) is used to provide Internet services by connecting a home network to an external network. Among DSL technologies, very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line (VDSL) enables transmitting data at a rate exceeding about 100 Mbit/s simultaneously in both an uplink and a downlink using frequencies of 30 MHz. However, in order to archive such a high data transmission rate exceeding about 100 Mbps with the VDSL, it might require replacing a typical system with a system using VDSL bonding techniques. Such VDSL bonding techniques require at least 2 pairs. Accordingly, there is difficulty to achieve data transmission rate exceeding about 200 Mbps without increasing the number of pairs. As another method, in order to provide a gigabit level data transmission service, a home network may be replaced with an optical fiber. However, such a method requires a high replacement cost.
A G.hn technology has been also introduced to provide wire-based gigabit home networks. The G.hn technology uses one pair of copper wires (for example, power wires, telephone wires, coaxial wires and the like) and determines the maximum available frequency band for each transmission medium to manage data traffic for each transmission medium. However, network access devices and methods are required to connect the home network to an external wideband network such as Ethernet in order to implement for G.hn-based home networking. In addition, network access devices and methods are required to manage the home network based on status of the home network in real time in order to improve data transmission efficiency.
KR Patent Publication No. 10-2012-0068537 discloses an optical network unit (ONU) device and a method for synchronizing the same in a cable network to connect with an external optical network. In particular, the KR patent publication discloses an optical network device in a cable network by implementing an edge-quadrature amplitude modulation in the optical network device, not in a head end, to facilitate application of fiber-deep and microcells. However, the KR patent publication cannot provide functions to monitor data transmission of the home network and increase its efficiency.
KR Patent Publication No. 10-2010-0016092 discloses GPON OAM using IEEE 802.1 ag methodology. In the disclosed technology, one flow point among flow points such as OLT or ONT generates a text message and another flow point receives information of network connection status based thereon. However, the disclosed technology cannot provision dynamically even though it can check the network connection status.